


Nini's Delivery Service

by baekyall



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Inspired by Studio Ghibli, Love at First Sight, M/M, Romance, Studio Ghibli, Witchcraft, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-20 21:47:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13726641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baekyall/pseuds/baekyall
Summary: Jongin has one dream: to fly away to a city by the ocean. And when he's finally given the chance, the last thing he expects to discover is a grumpy boy with round glasses and a smile that stirs his heart. (Very loosely based off of Kiki's Delivery Service, but heavily inspired by the beautiful world of Ghibli.)





	1. 1/4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a quick little thing I wrote based loosely off of Kiki's Delivery Service! It's fluff and there's no real smut since Ghibli is too precious to associate with sex (for me) lol. But anyway, all 18k is posted, all four chapters are up, and I'm excited for you guys to read. Enjoy!

Wind ruffles his black hair, a comfortable breeze settling over his shoulders, over his back. It's natural, easy like this. Up in the clouds, watching the miniscule dots of civilization move, watching the green of the grass change with each ripple of air. 

Jongin likes flying. 

He's known this since he was small. From the second he'd gotten the first toy broom, from the moment he'd watched his mom zip across the sky as a child, it was sealed: he wanted to fly far away. 

He didn't know where. But he did know he wanted to see the ocean, that he wanted to go somewhere bigger; he wanted to smell salt in the air, wanted to watch people bustle through life.

But most of all, he wanted to go out for himself, just him and his broom and Mongmong. He wanted to watch the stars twinkle from up close, wanted to think of his mom in a fond, distant way, and he wanted to discover what is out there, waiting for him. 

He still wants that, really. 

But his mom is so careful, so protective. She doesn't think he's really ready to go out and discover his abilities. She doesn't believe he can make it for an entire year on his own. Most of all, Jongin thinks, she doesn't want him to leave. 

He sighs, tanned hands moving to open his black bag. He needs the time -- not that Mongmong will help, he realizes, watching her sleep peacefully inside. After struggling to avoid the puppy waking up, his phone is finally in his hand, time reading 11:03 a.m. 

Jongin scrambles to throw his phone back in the bag unceremoniously, forgetting his sleeping dog for a moment. He's late, really late. 

The calm breeze suddenly feels too abrasive as he guides the broom back home, adrenaline pumping the entire way. On the way home he hears a ring from his bag and suddenly there's a yelp from Mongmong, too. Jongin thinks she must be irritated from being woken up and frowns slightly.

But then the thumping beat of his ringtone blasts through the whirring air again, reminding him that he is in deep shit, and a tired puppy is the least of his worries. 

He sighs heavily as he finally reaches home, dropping off his broom with only a few feet left until the ground. He swiftly grabs the broom from where it's about to fall, securing his belongings and the broom in one quick step. Jongin likes to think he's agile, that he's a natural aviator -- that maybe he's so good at light jumps and graceful steps because he was born to do it. 

Halfway between propping his broom on the side of the house and opening the door, a hand stops him. He looks up, taking in the rectangular glasses and soft wrinkles surrounding dark eyes. His dad looks tired in a kind, natural way, the way only someone who's been specializing in potions for almost thirty years can. 

"Mom's pretty annoyed, Jongin," his dad warns with a stern look. Jongin furrows his brows and watches Mongmong jump out of the bag and onto the green grass, sprinting away after a bunny. He wishes he could be like the little black dog, care and responsibility free. 

"I didn't mean to be late --" Jongin's cut off by the wag of his dad's finger, a kind way of telling him to be quiet. 

"Tell your mom that. You know how she gets." 

He decides the best plan to avoid getting in trouble is to sneak up behind his mom, giving her a hug before tugging on an apron. Half of it works because she naturally leans towards him, but he's thwarted with a smack to his hand as he reaches for an apron. 

"Oh, now you're home? And now you want to help me? I see." 

He pouts as cutely as he can muster, hoping that it isn't too obvious he was just flying. His mom knows he loves it, knows he flies away all the time, but she still doesn't approve of it. She thinks it's distracting and unnecessary -- both his parents deal in potions, and their customers come to them. Why would Jongin want to leave? 

He can't say her logic doesn't make sense. He knows if he had only one child, he'd prevent them from spending their year away so soon. But, Jongin thinks pitifully, he's almost eighteen. He's long overdue to explore. 

"I just lost track of time! I'm here now, and I'll work past my shift, okay?" Jongin smiles coyly, knowing his mom is vulnerable to his smiles. She glares for a moment before whacking his head softly and moving past him, towards the back room. 

"I'm going to brew some more. You watch the front counter," she instructs before disappearing through an opening. 

Jongin sighs and sits, waiting for a customer or a disturbance or  _anything_  more interesting than this. He can't help it--the shop is boring. Even with vibrant colors and blooming flowers lining the walls, with hundreds upon hundreds of vials scattered about, it looks like junk to Jongin. He can't help but think that potions are a sad line of work for him. He's not good at cooking, was never an amazing chemist, and hates the stench of most ingredients. 

Resting his head on his palm, he zones out, watching the birds fly in the sky outside. He can see his dad driving away over a hill, off to buy ingredients or talk to friends. Jongin can't help but wonder how far his dad's driven out there. How far would he have to go before he saw the ocean, before he didn't recognize anything around him? 

The very thought sends chills down his spine in an excited way, as if he really was floating above a city full of people dashing around. Girls in short dresses with colored hair, men with fancy suits on, carrying briefcases. He thinks of the children, running around on short legs in busy streets, giggling as their parents chase them down.

Then his mind drifts farther, to a place where the ocean laps at the land, where Mongmong is running around and there is soft music playing somewhere distant. He can hear his own breathing, can feel the fading light heating up his skin. All is quiet; the sun is setting now. Jongin feels at peace. 

And then a bell rings -- wait, no it doesn't. Not on the beach. Only on the door to the shop. 

Jongin looks up suddenly, trance broken. He blushes all the way up to his ears at being caught zoning out. 

"Welcome to Kim Potions," he greets. Then he recognizes the old woman slowly making her way through the doorway and relaxes. "Grandma Cho, you're back?" 

She smiles her wrinkly smile, eyes crinkling into lines. "Yes, I need a refill for some of my medicinal potions. Your mother makes the best ones, I'll tell you." 

"I'll get her," Jongin offers, trotting back to the back room. He pushes the vines and flower buds out of the way, peeking around the corner into the smoky, purple-tinted room. "Mom! Grandma Cho is here." 

"Refill?" he hears her ask back. The sound of her setting something down rings through and suddenly the room is tinted a warm orange. There's a faint strawberry scent wafting out now, too, and Jongin scrunches his nose a little. 

"Yeah." 

In less than a minute his mom is back in the front of the shop, talking up a storm with Grandma Cho about what hurts, if she wants tea, and how her grandkids are. Jongin zones out again watching the multicolored smoke flit up from incense placed on the counter, how the trails of green and yellow mix until they are colored vibrant red. Nothing makes sense, Jongin thinks, but that's how it always is at the shop. 

"They're doing so well. You wouldn't believe it. I'm not magical at all, but my son, he married a witch, and my little granddaughter has powers. So she just left for her year two days ago." 

Jongin's been studying a fuzzy plant, but he perks up at this instantly. 

"Really?" his voice comes out as disbelieving. Grandma Cho is old, but not  _that_  old. "How old is she?" 

Jongin notices how his mom tenses up a little. He knows he might be pushing it, but he's also so curious. Why should he be the only person who has to wait  _this long_? 

"Let's see. . ." Grandma Cho smiles fondly, nodding. "She's going to be twelve this spring." 

Jongin's eyebrows shoot up and he spares a poignant look to his mom. She looks back sternly and he mouths 'eleven' as his only response. Grandma Cho seems to notice the exchange and she extends a warm hand to hold Jongin's wrist. 

"Why hasn't Jongin gone out yet? I think he'd do well out there. A strong, tall, handsome boy like him!" she says in a fond way, squeezing his wrist encouragingly. Jongin blushes at the compliments, smiling down at her with blatant affection. Jongin's mom stiffens more, shaking her head a little. 

"He's going to carry on the potion shop anyway, why waste time?" 

"No, no, I was talking to my daughter-in-law about this. It's not wasting time! They get to see what they're really interested in. It's very good." 

Jongin's mom flushes red, obviously embarrassed to have her decision questioned. Jongin doesn't think he's ever loved Grandma Cho more than he does in this moment, doesn't think he ever will. 

"Well," she starts again, definitely flustered. "I don't know if he'd be confident in doing that. He's always been a little shy, you know that." 

Grandma Cho shakes her head, raising Jongin's hand up to her face to inspect. "Jongin is a kind boy, and he wants to learn more than anything. I think he deserves a little bit more faith. I'd be happy if I knew he was out there at the same time as my granddaughter." 

Jongin feels her tug on his fingers slightly. He notices his mom's gaze drop down to watch the old woman. "He has soft eyes and strong hands; that's a good combination, you know. I think he should get a chance." 

Jongin's heart is racing at the look in his mom's eyes, the realization washing over her in waves. He feels something blossom deep in his chest, enough of a twinge to make his lips quirk up. He recognizes it suddenly as hope. 

He might be able to fly to the sea, to watch the city come to life in front of his eyes. This is all he'd ever wanted, and here it was, at the edge of his fingertips. He looks down at his fingertips again, held by Grandma Cho's aged hands, a soft serenity jumping between them. 

Then she lets go suddenly, one last squeeze to Jongin's thumb, and collects her potions and hobbles her way towards the door, promising to be back within a few weeks. Jongin's stomach churns as she leaves. He's nervous to see what his mom will say after all of this, but most of all he's worried that maybe this talk will get his broom taken away. Maybe he'd hoped too soon. 

But when he meets her eyes, all he receives is a stern look. Jongin sighs now, hope draining out of his chest as if his mom had cut a hole in it. 

"Your father and I will talk about this later, Jongin." 

\--

Two nights later, Jongin is sitting there. On his broom. In his best black slacks and shirt, his mother's ruby pendant necklace tucked in. He's shaky, sweaty, but he's ready. 

Apparently when his mom had brought it up, his dad had agreed readily. He'd always thought Jongin needed to go, needed to explore, but didn't want to cause a conflict or stress the mother-son relationship any further. 

Jongin swallows thickly, watching the wind curl around the trees in front of him. Soon he'd be up there, next to the stars, headed toward his home for the next year. He'd never in a million years thought he'd really get to go. And now he's trembling with anticipation and fear. 

He's supposed to have a big party -- a going away speech, a cake, a big send-off. But since all of his friends had gone when they were twelve or thirteen, they were long gone in their respective careers and cities. A few had returned after the year dead-set on staying at home and continuing the family business, but most had left already. It left Jongin only his mom, dad, Grandma Cho, and a few almost-forgotten schoolmates.

He waves one last time at the group before he kicks off, gliding so naturally into the air that for a second it feels like one of those times he'd sneak out early in the morning to go on a ride. But now, he can hear his mom sniffling and some quiet laughter from the group as they all scream their goodbyes. 

He spares a last glance at his home, at his family, watching the vivid smoke roll out of the chimney and the lingering kiss his dad places on his mom's cheek. He knows that she's sad, but he can't get over how  _happy_  he feels. The possibility of the entire world is out there, and he knows he has to taste some of it. 

Soon he's too high in the air to make out any details besides the vague shape of his house and the shop. This is it. This is really it. He opens up his bag gingerly from it's place dangling around the broom to spare a look at Mongmong. She barks up at him, happily wagging her tail in a way that says she's excited too. 

"Breathe, Jongin, breathe," he tells himself, watching his tanned hands shake a little in the moonlight. He smiles at the thought of what might be out there, and tells himself to just keep flying until he sees the ocean. He can do that. 

\-- 

When he spots the blue push and pull of waves in front of him, his stomach lurches. He'd never seen it, not in real life. This was the first time to see the actual ocean, to study the light and dark spots, the vastness of it all. He thinks he might actually throw up when he realizes how  _big_  it all is. But then he's looking to the right, watching a clock tower ring out six times. It's six a.m. 

The sun is starting to rise and the pink hues are turning the ocean coral. Jongin is breathless. 

He's not close enough to the ocean or the city to see much for certain, yet he already knows that something is there. There is something waiting for him. This is where he must go. 

"Mongmong," Jongin whispers. The puppy is out of the bag in an instant, perched confidently on edge of the broom. "How about here?" 

He only gets excited yaps in response and he nods, steering them towards the city. A few minutes later, they're close enough that he can fly through the streets if he tried. They're at the edge of the city, but he can tell it's large and in an hour it will be full of citizens. Something about the electricity of this many people being around zips through his veins, even if they're all still asleep. 

Each street has a sign on the corner, telling the name. They're all foreign to Jongin, but he likes the way they look, the cursive letters and expensive-sounding names setting curiosity aflame in his chest.

He's figured out that most people here live in apartments, not houses, and that each balcony belongs to a different person. Some have chairs, some have tables, some have elaborate floral displays. Jongin spots one so full of flower pots and hanging plants that he fears it might break off the hinges -- it brings a memory of his mother, of the crazy patterns her flowers grew in. 

Someone leaves their house to take out some trash and spots Jongin in the air, mouth falling open. Jongin smiles and waves as confidently as he can, a pleasant feeling spreading in his stomach at the stunned little wave he earns in return. He zips away then, curiosity piquing at the way the streets widen up ahead.

About a minute later, he lands softly on the top of a cobblestone hill, finally, and stretches out. Mongmong jumps out, too, and uses the stop as an excuse to sniff everything in sight. He looks around curiously, noting that the ocean can be seen from up here and that there are multiple shops surrounding him. He swallows spit gathering in his mouth as he realizes they're all restaurants. It's been hours since he last ate. 

And just then, an extremely tall boy walks out of the shop closest to him. He whips around to make eye contact, smiling shyly.

Said boy has wide shoulders and is visibly well-built, almost too toned to work at a bakery, Jongin thinks. He's a little scary. But then the boy smiles at him and nods in his direction, a silent greeting, and he thinks that maybe he's not that bad. The boy puts something into the mailbox next to him swiftly. 

"Hello," Jongin says. He hopes that they speak the same language. He hopes he doesn't have an accent. He hopes this boy thinks witches are cool. 

"Hi," the boy nods curtly again, spinning on his heel to retreat back into the bakery. Jongin winces, knowing that he's going to look like an idiot, but he can't really avoid it. He follows the boy, broom in hand, and stops cautiously outside of the bakery as the taller continues to walk in. 

"Excuse me," Jongin pipes up. The boy turns around quickly, seemingly frightened at the fact that Jongin had followed. "I'm Kim Jongin. I'm a witch, and I'm doing my year --" 

"Aren't you a little old for that?" 

Jongin finds out quickly that this boy can scrutinize him effectively just through facial expressions.

"I --" Jongin blushes beet red. Maybe he should've stayed home. "I, uh, yeah, I am a little old for that. It's a long story." 

The boy watches him with unwavering eyes, nodding more, waiting for more explanation. 

"Do you have any left over food? I'm really hungry; I already ate the lunch I packed on the ride here," Jongin feels like a beggar. He almost smacks himself when he realizes he left off the most important part. "I can work to pay you back." 

The boy nods slowly and ushers Jongin inside, broom and all. Jongin turns around quickly, searching for Mongmong, and spots her bounding back up the hill towards him. 

"Pets allowed?" Jongin asks, sounding almost guilty. The boy laughs a little and nods, watching the puppy hop over the threshold and into the bakery. The boy nods towards a lit fireplace and, more specifically, to a small gray dog curled in a ball by it. Pets definitely allowed, Jongin notes. 

"Junmyeon!" the boy screams out. Jongin jumps a little, hunger and fatigue making him anxious. He can hear feet thudding down the steps and towards them, making his heart stutter a little in fear of being rejected and thrown outside. 

He takes these few seconds to look around the light brown and cream interior. He studies the sleek tables, the pretty paintings hanging on the walls, and the flowers on the counter. Jongin thinks he'll like this place, if he's allowed to work here at all. 

"What?" Junmyeon says, hopping down the last step. He's in a white t-shirt and boxers and, suddenly, Jongin feels as if he's intruding because, oops, they  _live_  here too. 

Junmyeon seems to feel the same way because he hops almost two feet into the air in shock when it's not just the boy in the bakery. He lets out a startled sound and moves to hide himself behind the taller, wider boy. 

"Who's this?" Junmyeon whispers, but Jongin can hear it. It's too quiet this early in the morning, and the bakery is too empty, for it to be ignored. 

"Uh, this is Kim Jongin. He's a witch on his year -- I know he looks old, but he said he'd tell me more later -- and he needs to eat." 

At that, Junmyeon perks up, looking around the boy's shoulder to make eye contact with Jongin for the first time, awkwardly smiling. 

"And I can work to pay you back," Jongin reminds, smiling at the tall boy again in a pleading way.

"What can you do?" Junmyeon asks, taking a half-step out from behind the boy to have a decent conversation. "Do you know how to bake? Knead dough? Serve tables?" 

Jongin's mind turns blank because, no, he really can't do any of that. 

"I can learn?" he offers, but the look on Junmyeon's face is less than impressed. The tallest boy nudges him slightly, eyebrows quirking up oddly. Jongin watches in wonder. Is buff guy on his side? 

"I saw Jongin fly in," the boy points out, actually reaching to grab the broom from Jongin's hands. "He could deliver for us, Myeon." 

"Sehun. . ." Junmyeon trails off; Jongin recognizes suddenly that this is the tall boy's name. "I don't know, we can't really afford to pay someo --" 

"That's it, though! Jongin," Sehun turns, nodding. "All you want is food and a place to sleep, right?" 

Jongin nods enthusiastically, so hard his neck hurts a little. "All I need is food, really. I can sleep outside!" 

Junmyeon shakes his head equally as violently at that.

"No one is sleeping outside," he affirms. "If that's really all you need, that's fine. We have a spare room and could use some help running deliveries." 

Jongin smiles brightly, almost jumping in joy. The anxiety pooled in his stomach is now dissolving into pure hunger, but there's nothing painful about it. He knows that he can trust Sehun. And he knows that he can trust Sehun to convince Junmyeon. 

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you so much!" Jongin is bowing, heart thumping.

Sehun laughs a little and Junmyeon scuttles toward the stairs again, obviously headed to get dressed. Jongin watches with wide eyes as Sehun guffaws even louder, hitting Junmyeon's butt with a loud smack. Jongin feels like he's intruding again because, oops, maybe they're _more_  than just bakery co-owners. 

"Sehun, stop it and give him some food!" 

\--

Jongin has learned what time to get up to help Junmyeon knead dough (though he's little help) and what time he should start sweeping the floor of the bakery and cleaning the tables, preparing for it to open. He has a schedule.

It has a tiny, albeit loyal, customer base. Jongin gets used to seeing the same people walk in and out, delivering to the same companies, and saying hello to the same mothers on his daily ride past a daycare. It feels familiar. And Jongin knows how to fly, knows how to get orders there so quickly that people are shocked.

Junmyeon says he does a great job, and Sehun, who spends most of his time carefully decorating pastries, thanks him for buying him a few more minutes to make each pastry "truly beautiful." Jongin has his own little room with a bed and a big window that he can watch the ocean out of. He likes to leave it open and smell the salt drift over at night; he likes to hear the sounds of people giggling and running down the street. Jongin likes it here, specifically.

For once Jongin feels like he has a purpose: to deliver, to make others smile, to help out. No potions involved. It's all he's ever wanted, really, and it comes naturally. Each day is like perfect clockwork, a gleeful daze, familiar and comforting. 

And that's why the three boys who walk in unexpectedly one day stand out so much to him. Their unfamiliarity shocks him. 

At least that's what he tells himself, although he knows that it's everything about smallest boy sitting in the corner. Jongin gulps hard as Junmyeon takes their order, watching the shortest boy push his glasses up his nose, big sweater almost enveloping his fingers when he does it.

Everything about him is enchanting. He's short and quiet, with closely cropped hair and round glasses and perfect lips. He doesn't smile a lot, but it makes Jongin feel as though his smiles are more precious, more beautiful. He wants to watch one form, wants to be the reason for a smile. 

Jongin sits in the opposite corner of the bakery, next to the two dogs, rolling napkins into a perfect fold, just like Junmyeon wanted them, and staring at the boy. He thinks he's being discreet, really, but then the tallest of the group turns to look him straight in the eyes and smirk. 

Jongin drops a napkin and curses at himself because, damn it, he has to wash that now. He curses a little bit more because now it's  _obvious_  that he was watching the group. The second tallest (although, Jongin notes, he's still several inches shorter than the tallest) turns, too, smiling fondly and shaking his head. 

Jongin waits with bated breath for the smallest to react, but he stays silent, sipping on coffee and ignoring Jongin's existence. It shouldn't make him swoon, but it does. He's cool and mysterious and so beautiful. Jongin looks away, blushing profusely, and stands to go into the kitchen if only to avoid the stares of the other two boys. 

Jongin laments over his complete and utter lack of flirting skills as he watches Junmyeon bake. He has a clear view of the counter, but not the corner, which he's eternally grateful for. But then the unthinkable happens: the trio decides to pay as they leave. 

Jongin watches in horror as they gather around Sehun at the counter, the tallest finding bills in his wallet. He makes direct eye contact with the shortest boy and realizes his eyes are huge, and dark brown, and gorgeous. He can barely manage to look away without feeling like a complete weirdo, but he makes it look as though he's busy kneading dough instead. 

Junmyeon looks at him suspiciously, swatting his hands with a mumbled 'don't ruin that dough.' 

"Who's the tall, tan guy who works here?" tallest boy asks in an extremely deep, intimidating voice. Jongin wants to cry a little, knowing that _he's_ the tan guy. 

"Jongin?" Sehun asks, shock evident in his tone. He spins around to raise his eyebrows at Jongin, as if asking if he'd done anything bad. Jongin smiles weakly back, regretting even looking at the group when they'd walked in, and, most of all, regretting every second he'd admired the smallest since.

"Ah, Jongin," middle height boy speaks up, voice high and clearly teasing. "Is he not a waiter? He didn't come see us." 

Jongin is aware that they're trying to bug him, and suddenly he's busier than ever with the pie crusts. Maybe if he acts like he doesn't know what they're teasing him about, they won't exist. Maybe he won't exist. 

"No, Jongin's our delivery boy." 

This seems to strike a chord between the two taller boys, if their shared look of glee is any indication. 

"I see! Well, that's convenient!" middle boy laughs a little as he says it, wrapping an arm around the shortest. "Isn't that great, Soo?" 

Jongin glances up, interest in the boy's response overwhelming. He wants to see how Soo will react. Soo. What a pretty name, he thinks. 

Soo doesn't utter a word. Instead, he pushes the other's arm off of him, moving towards the door, shaking his head. Jongin watches the way his cheeks turn a little pink, as though the middle boy was embarrassing. At least he was aware of what jerks his friends are, Jongin thinks almost proudly.

The boy leaves the restaurant with a small ding of the bell above the door, hopping on a bicycle and pushing his glasses up again. Jongin's heart falters a little at how cute it is. It also falters a  _lot_  because the two other boys giggle as they leave, shouting "See you soon, Jongin!" in unison. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have all three of my fics now up on ao3, though Rêverie is still ongoing. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Thanks for the support I've received so far, and I'd always love to interact with you guys!


	2. 2/4

Jongin zips through the sky, squinting through the varying streets for the one he's looking for. They're all laid out similarly, wide openings and dark brown cobblestone, streetlights every few feet. Ronce street, whatever that means, is the one he's desperately looking out for, but he can't locate it. He'd memorized the six streets closest to the bakery, but he'd never been called this far out. And he has a reputation of being the fastest delivery boy; he can't just let that go. 

He knows he can use his phone to search for it, but something about it makes him feel guilty. Shouldn't he already know where he's going? He sighs, ignoring that option, and continues further toward the ocean. It's beautiful, shining and blue in the crisp autumn air, and Jongin takes a deep breath.

He suddenly remembers the "It's by the university!" Junmyeon had called out after him that morning. Jongin had never thought about Sehun or Junmyeon knowing about the university, but he supposes they must've. They probably learned in the university, down by the ocean; they probably even met and fell in love on campus. It's something Jongin longs for, suddenly and stubbornly, but he pushes it out of his mind and focuses on finding his delivery location instead.   

It takes him a few more minutes, but soon he's almost to the beach and close to the university, a good fifteen minute walk from the bakery. It's then that he finally spots the street sign with Ronce scrawled out in wide, emerald cursive. 

Sighing in relief, he searches, this time more easily, for apartment 1011. The building it's in is only a second's ride down the street and he smiles to himself, proud that he won't be giving up his record-breaking delivery time just yet. He hops off the broom, brown takeout bag gripped firmly, getting ready to use his retail voice. 

The apartment is on the second floor, so he races up the stairs, eager and excited. Standing in front of 1011, Jongin realizes that something is different. There's abstract colors painted all over the door, a stark difference from the blank white of others, and Jongin can already hear loud laughter inside. His eyebrows raise a little in apprehension, but he knocks anyway, listening to the reverberation of it silence the inhabitants. 

It's too quiet, and suddenly the door is opened by someone oddly -- and embarrassingly -- familiar. 

It's the middle height boy from the bakery, the one with the high voice and teasing smile. He's in pajamas this time, hair disheveled, and a smile spreads across his face with delight.

Jongin panics a little, shoving the brown bag into his hands hurriedly. The last thing he wants is Soo to be here. He doesn't want Soo to see him, doesn't want to have to interact and make himself look like even more of a fool. However, middle height boy seems to have other plans.

"Yeol! Soo! I forgot my wallet, can I borrow some money?" 

Jongin swears he might actually pass out from the devilish look middle height boy gives him. 

In a matter of seconds the other two boys are there, glares evident. The tallest one mumbles, "We're at  _home_. Where did you possibly forget your wallet?" and Soo nods gravely, distracted by searching through his wallet. 

It's then that the tallest boy truly looks up and sees who's at their doorstep. He perks up, large ears actually twitching a little. 

"Jongin!" 

Tall boy pulls him into an extremely uncomfortable, tight hug. It has Jongin wheezing as he's pulled half into the apartment, made to stand directly next to Soo. 

"H-hey," Jongin coughs a little, hands subtly retracting in an attempt to escape tall boy's firm hands. He dropped his broom somewhere in the hallway of the apartment building, and he's acutely aware that middle height boy is staring at it. And that Soo is staring at him. 

"Baekhyun didn't tell me he ordered from the bakery! I didn't even expect to see you!" tall boy screams out, finally loosening his grip enough to allow Jongin to shimmy out. Jongin guesses that his eyes convey confusion because immediately the tall boy clarifies, "I'm Chanyeol. Baekhyun's the one who ordered from you guys." 

He nods in understanding, finally placing names to faces, before sneaking a glance towards the shortest boy.

Soo's not looking at him anymore; he's busy studying the bills in his wallet. That doesn't stop Jongin, though, and he notes the dark blue sweatpants and t-shirt Soo is wearing, the way his hair flops into his face, how his glasses slide down his nose when he's concentrated. It makes Jongin's heart hurt a little, but then he's pulled back by Baekhyun's clear, loud voice. 

"Wait, are you a  _witch_?" 

Jongin's head snaps up and he nods shyly, scooting back toward the hall to pick up his broom. He'd never considered what the trio thought about witches. But now it's out there, and his eyes flit from boy to boy, hoping to distinguish any emotions they're conveying. 

"That's so cool! You can really fly this?" Baekhyun questions, eyeing the broom from bottom to top. "Is it scary?" 

Soo looks up to watch their conversation and Jongin makes brief, extraordinary, eye contact with the boy. His eyes are really wide now, pupils focused on the broom in Jongin's hand, thick lips parted a little in awe. Jongin ignores how much it makes his heart pound and instead answers the question.

"No, not really. I've been flying it since I was little, so. . ." Jongin rubs the back of his neck, trying to dispel the blush steadily creeping up. 

"How old are you?" Chanyeol asks skeptically, and he leans down to examine Jongin's face more carefully. He panics, mind suddenly screaming because what if Soo was older than he looked? What if he had a big, fat crush on some thirty-five year old man?

"I'll be eighteen in a few months -- in January, I mean -- uh --" 

Jongin _knows_  he's blushing now. His face feels hot and he detects one single sweat bead making it's way down his back. This is too much.

"Kyungsoo was born in January, too! But he'll be nineteen!" Baekhyun pipes up, his tone coy. Jongin wants to crawl under a rock -- now they're going to tease him about Soo. Wait, no, they're going to tease him about Kyungsoo. Jongin thinks he likes his full name better; it suits him. 

Kyungsoo who is only eighteen, Kyungsoo who is avoiding his gaze and looks like an angel. Jongin internally shakes himself awake. Now is not the time to daydream -- he's not working in the potion shop, or laying in his bed at night listening to the sounds of the city. He is in a real conversation, trying to not act like a complete idiot in front of a cute boy who makes him want to scream. 

"So, what do you specialize in? As a witch, I mean." 

Jongin looks up at Chanyeol, thinking hard. He honestly doesn't know. The bakery is his life right now, and so he'd lean towards deliveries, but there's no real specialty he could describe. Does anything except potions count?

"Uhm, well. Deliveries, I guess? I really like flying, and I'm good at it. . ." Jongin feels lame. The soft pink on Kyungsoo's cheeks when they make eye contact tells him he's definitely being lame. Kyungsoo is embarrassed for him. Great, Jongin thinks, this is _not_  how he wanted to come off. "I'm not so sure yet, actually." 

Jongin attempts to laugh it off and Baekhyun plays along, letting out a giggle and nodding. 

"Hey, that's okay! Chanyeol's still undecided in college and he's almost twenty. You're a baby compared to him, it's okay!" 

Jongin knows that the boy is trying to be encouraging, but that doesn't help his self-esteem at all. Being called a baby in front of Kyungsoo wasn't his plan for today.

Chanyeol, on the other hand, makes a hurt noise and smacks Baekhyun's arm lightly. Jongin hears a muffled 'rude' slip out of the taller's mouth, and for the first time a small smile forms on Kyungsoo's lips. 

If he was infatuated before, now he's head over heels. For a boy he's never even had a conversation with. Jongin screams a little to himself, yells to get a grip. But the way Kyungsoo's lips curve into a small heart, the perfect way his teeth fit together, it sends an anxious feeling plummeting into his stomach. 

"It's not easy for some of us! Baekhyun's always been a painter, and Kyungsoo loves literature. They had their majors chosen by the time they were ten. They can't expect me to catch up with  _that_." 

Jongin watches Chanyeol pout, a ridiculous expression for someone his age and height, and offers a small smile in return. The tallest boy's words ring in his head, over and over again. Kyungsoo loves literature.

It fits him. Kyungsoo. He wears big sweaters and round glasses and loves literature and he has a beautiful smile. Jongin files all the information he knows into the back of his brain, heart ticking away like a time bomb. If he doesn't leave soon, he might miss another delivery, or worse, he might really screw up in front of these boys. 

"Well, I should probably be getting back to the bakery," Jongin bows a little and starts to walk backwards to the open door. He needs to bolt, now. "Have a nice day." 

Jongin knows he sounds like an old man, and he knows it was awkward, but he's just so glad to have some time to breathe after being around them for so long -- he can't wait to shut this door, to daydream about Kyungsoo on the ride back, to be safe in the world in his head once again, flying in the clouds. 

But before he can, there's a soft hand reaching out to grab his. Glancing up, he connects the small hand to the small boy in front of him. Jongin knows there should be an electric jolt, but there's none. It's just pure heat, a soft, all enveloping warmth that stretches between them. It makes him instantly calm yet nervous; it's mystifying.

Kyungsoo is looking past him, not at him, but Jongin doesn't miss the hint of light brown swimming in his dark eyes, doesn't miss a single feature of his face from this close. He studies the boy's face as much as he can before it's awkward, noticing the soft pink the shorter boy's ears have turned. Then he feels the hand in his moving, spreading something papery and thin wide in his palm before his hand is gone.

"Your money," Kyungsoo speaks for the first time. It's deep, deeper than Jongin had imagined, and it's velvety soft. It makes heat bubble in Jongin's stomach, makes Jongin's cheeks shift to a deep red hue.

Jongin nods dumbly, mouth hanging wide open, too caught up in the sudden closeness of Kyungsoo to understand what had just happened. 

"Thanks," Jongin mumbles, almost incoherently, gripping the wad of cash in his hand firmly as if it's his lifeline. Kyungsoo steps back then, nodding his head as a good bye. He's turned around the next second, slippers making a little scuffing noise on the floor, and he turns a corner into a different part of the apartment. Jongin breathes hard, then doesn't breathe at all, and nods again. 

Everything is a blur of Chanyeol and Baekhyun giggling. The pair usher him out and just barely say goodbye before they resolve into more fits of laughter, obviously proud of whatever scheme they'd pulled off. 

Jongin doesn't realize until he's flying back towards the bakery that Kyungsoo spoke to him. Kyungsoo touched him, of all people. That everything that had just happened was _real._  That Kyungsoo lived in a cute little apartment down by the ocean, next to the university. That Kyungsoo has roommates, one who painted their door vibrant colors, one who doesn't know what he's doing but is full of love. That Kyungsoo loves literature and his eyes are enthralling from up close. 

It makes his heart beat uncomfortably and for once, flying is hard, because he's so distracted by his inner thoughts the entire ride home. 

\--

Jongin lies in bed, Mongmong's soft snores reverberating through his chest where she's laying. He'd just called his mom and talked to her, like he does weekly. But this week it had changed -- because now Kyungsoo was something. He didn't want to bring it up to her (after all, they'd only ever shared, what? Ten words between them?) but he desperately needed to vent.

He'd tried to go talk to Sehun or Junmyeon, but when he walked past their room, they were talking excitedly about something, laughing so hard that their voices came out in exaggerated syllables. They sounded so happy; Jongin couldn't disturb that. 

And in the end, he'd only managed to tell his mom that he'd made a couple friends. And that his favorite was named Kyungsoo. He was a literature major with glasses whose voice is nice -- maybe even that was too much, he can't be certain. But she said "that's nice honey" and then had to hang up because Jongin's dad had done something and was calling for her. 

Jongin gently picks up the sleeping puppy, moving her to lay on the empty pillow next to his. He needs to breathe a little, he decides, and he takes the opportunity to sit by his window and look at the ocean and the streets below him. A soft breeze is blowing from the sea across the road -- a little chilly now, not that he minds -- as he studies the people trudging their way across the traffic. 

There's foot traffic, car traffic, even bike traffic -- and that's when Jongin sees him. 

Kyungsoo has on a slightly oversized windbreaker and his usual glasses, but his hair is pushed back in a way that makes him look charming, makes him stand out. He's biking up the hill towards the bakery, and for a brief moment Jongin is filled with hope that he's on his way to see him. That hope is squashed as he realizes they're closed already; it's nine p.m., for goodness sake. 

He hops to his feet as Kyungsoo turns a corner and disappears from his view. Is it weird to watch him? he wonders. But then he's stealthily crawling out onto his balcony, broom in hand, ready to go. 

He's about to mount it, too, when he notices that Kyungsoo has stopped only three stores down. Jongin squints, searching for a sign, but it seems like this store is tiny and doesn't have anything that would cause it to stand out at night. But that doesn't stop Kyungsoo from parking his light blue bike outside the shop and walking in with a small smile, making Jongin's heart flip a little more.

Before he knows what he's doing, he's grabbed his jacket and slipped his shoes back on, climbing down the side of the bakery in order to hop safely into the grass. He panics for a brief moment, worrying about Sehun and Junmyeon looking for him, but it's gone with a rush of adrenaline as he trots his way down the street. 

The store is a small, brick building with ivy growing up the walls. Some of it has bloomed recently, bright yellows and oranges giving off an almost fluorescent hue in the twinkling darkness. Through the throng of flowers and vines Jongin makes out the word, 'Bookstore'. He knows there's a name before it, but he can only read the last letter before the foliage blocks him from going on. 

He peeks through the tinted windows surrounding the door and sees rows and rows of books and couches of different colors sprawled across the entire store. Jongin realizes now that it goes back further than it is wide, and that Kyungsoo has disappeared among the shelves and seating arrangements. 

He opens the door as softly as possible, so as not to disturb the multiple people reading throughout the store, and he tiptoes further back until he's surrounded over his head with the dusty, overwhelming smell of ink and paper. He thinks it's a nice smell, better than the smoky burn of the potion shop, but nowhere near as nice as the bakery. 

He thumbs the side of a few books, interested in the jewel tones of the covers they're bound in. He's never been much of a reader, but he understands why someone would want to get lost in a book. He does the same with flying, with zoning out.

Jongin busies himself for a minute by reading the back of a few novels, but nothing catches his eye, so he moves further towards the rear of the shop, until a staircase is his only option. 

The steps creak slightly under his weight and he eyes the aged wood under his feet. Relief settles as he finally reaches the second floor. There are abundantly more bookshelves with a few older, more comfortable looking couches spread out.

Jongin notices a familiar head of hair, the eyes he'd been dreaming about, sitting in one of them. It's a light brown couch, the same tone as the coffee Sehun drinks in the morning, and it looks as soft and inviting as Kyungsoo's plush lips. The boy is surrounded by five or six books and, wow, Jongin thinks, he must've known exactly what he wanted to read if he'd already grabbed that many in so little time. 

Jongin is impressed, to say the least. He decides that maybe Kyungsoo wouldn't appreciate it if he knew he was being stared at so openly in public, so Jongin grabs the first book he sees off of the shelf nearest to him, settling in a couch a few feet away from Kyungsoo. He realizes the older boy must be absorbed in what he's reading because he doesn't look up once, not even to blink or smile lazily in Jongin's direction.

Jongin zones out then, book open in his lap, but eyes unfocused and staring at the shorter boy. He watches the way his fingers turn the pages, the way his lips purse as he reads. Kyungsoo has a habit of frowning naturally when he's focused and, god, Jongin wants to go smooth out his forehead and ask him what's happening in the book right now -- but he also knows that he'd be too embarrassed to touch him. 

So instead he watches intently, almost fondly as Kyungsoo finishes ten, twenty, thirty pages. He studies the way the older stretches his neck and back a little every few minutes, the small yawn that slips out once it hits nine-thirty. He watches on in agony as Kyungsoo licks his lips softly, eyelids fluttering closed for a brief moment out of fatigue.

Kyungsoo cracks his neck and pulls his jacket back on, the pile of books in his hands before the younger can blink. Jongin fumbles to put his book back on the shelf, and he barely accomplishes it before Kyungsoo is back sans books. The shorter boy must know this place like the back of his hand, Jongin realizes, and he feels a tender sort of pride at the passion Kyungsoo holds for his major. 

And then he comes to the conclusion that Kyungsoo is about to notice him, whether he likes it or not. The shorter is pulling something out of his pocket and moving to glide down the staircase, as usual, but this time there's a tall teenage boy in the way. They collide and Jongin gasps, feeling caught. Kyungsoo looks up with startled eyes that settle into relief as he recognizes Jongin. 

"Hi," Kyungsoo greets, still practically clinging onto Jongin's chest. He seems to recognize this fact a moment later because he jumps away quickly, his entire face turning a vibrant pink. Jongin curses internally because, fuck, that was cute. 

"Hey," Jongin can hear his voice crack, knows that he sounds utterly ridiculous. He closes his eyes and tries to will himself to calm down, it's just Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo who is quiet and collected all the time, who is beautiful and intimidating. When he opens them again Kyungsoo is staring him down in confusion, looking a little concerned for his health. 

"I -- I live down the street. So I popped in here." 

Kyungsoo's eyebrows raise a little but he nods slowly, seemingly believing the story. Jongin tries not to focus too hard on how it feels to have Kyungsoo's whole attention. Kyungsoo has never really looked  _at_ him before. 

"Why are you here? Just reading?" Jongin tries to ask casually, as if he hadn't been admiring the other from afar the entire time. Kyungsoo nods again, eyebrows finally back to their normal position. He's still quiet, so quiet, and he won't give Jongin anything to work with conversation-wise. "What books?" 

Kyungsoo shrugs noncommittally and he starts to inch towards the stairs. Jongin notices his cheeks are pink again -- this time it's harder to catch, since the warm lighting of the shop obscures his natural skin tone -- but the taller boy can't miss a single detail.

Although he's not sure if he's supposed to, Jongin follows Kyungsoo down the stairs like a puppy follows its owner. Kyungsoo says nothing about it, just slows his pace a little once they're on the first floor, and the taller boy takes it as a cue to walk with him. 

"How are Baekhyun and Chanyeol? It's been a week since they last ordered," Jongin questions, keeping his voice soft and close to Kyungsoo's ear out of courtesy for the still-reading customers.

Kyungsoo shivers a little, cheeks reddening again, and Jongin panics. He backs up suddenly, so suddenly that he almost knocks into a stand of books. But he doesn't want to make Kyungsoo uncomfortable, doesn't want him to shiver like that again if he can help it. 

The shorter boys eyes are big when he looks at Jongin again, staring at him in an amused way. His lips twitch a little when Jongin can't stop stumbling over his own feet. Jongin doesn't know if this is the moment, if he'll finally make Kyungsoo smile at him, but god, he _hopes_  it is. He smiles wide at the older boy in an embarrassed way, trying to coax it out of him, but it's to no avail. 

Kyungsoo suppresses the smile and looks away again, focusing on making his way back into the cold night air. He needs a little bit of it, he resolves. Jongin pouts to himself, but he can't help the pounding of his heart just knowing he was almost there. 

"Baekhyun and Chanyeol are the same as always. Loud," Kyungsoo pushes open the door. "Giggly. Working hard." 

Jongin trails behind him and makes sure the shop's door closes all the way -- the buildings are old here, and he knows Junmyeon sometimes has trouble with theirs. Kyungsoo moves to unlock his bike, pocketing the key. Jongin is slightly disappointed that Kyungsoo is going like this, that he won't get a smile out of the boy at all.  

"Do you want a ride home?" Jongin asks, tone hopeful, acting as if Kyungsoo isn't already sitting on his bike.

The shorter looks up at him like his entire future depends on his answer to this question. He seems to be considering something deadly serious, something life-changing. Jongin's stomach clenches at the way his lips are open, at the sparkle the moon gives his eyes, the way the lighting of the night makes his features look so soft and perfect. 

Kyungsoo moves to look behind Jongin, as if searching for something, and shakes his head. 

"On what? Nevermind, I have a bike. It's okay." 

Jongin nods because, really, did he expect another answer? He knew he'd say no -- shouldn't have even asked. Now he's embarrassed himself and made Kyungsoo hate him more than he already does. 

"Okay," Jongin replies lamely, eyes focused on the tiny scuff on his black shoes.

He becomes self-conscious suddenly because he'd only packed black shirts and pants and shoes -- it's the color witches have worn for centuries. Besides the ruby pendant on his necklace, there's no vibrancy to him. In a city full of flowers, surrounded by the sea, with a boy like Kyungsoo, isn't he too boring? Does Kyungsoo think he's drab and ugly?

"You --" the shorter starts, and Jongin's head shoots up at the deep voice. "You said you live down the street. Do you live at the bakery?" 

Kyungsoo's eyes look genuinely interested as he waits for an answer, and it gives a spark of hope to Jongin. The younger nods frantically, heart dancing in his ribcage, and makes a motion with his head to the bakery. 

"Junmyeon and Sehun let me stay since I'm on my year," he confesses. He doesn't know  _why_ he would say that, why he would reveal that he's just now getting around to it. As if Kyungsoo didn't already think he was a baby from Baekhyun's comment, this cemented it.

Kyungsoo kicks off and slowly starts rolling down the street, and Jongin walks alongside him, moderately surprised that he hadn't said anything about his age and the year. Maybe Kyungsoo doesn't know enough about witches to notice, or maybe he just doesn't care, but some part of Jongin hopes it's because it doesn't matter between them. 

"They own the bakery, by the way," Jongin adds as an afterthought. Kyungsoo nods a little right as a cold breeze billows across the street, kicking leaves into the dark air. Jongin shivers involuntarily, the biting wind blowing his hair in every direction. Kyungsoo shivers, too, and he pulls his thin jacket tight around himself as they approach the bakery.

Jongin has no way of explaining that he's locked out of the bakery and needs to climb up the side of the building to get back to his balcony, so instead he focuses on the way Kyungsoo's hands are shaking in the autumn wind. It makes fear blossom in his chest -- it's already so late, so dark, so cold, and Kyungsoo has at least ten minutes by bike to go. 

"Here."

He slips his thick, black jacket off and places it over the handlebars of the bike, face inches from Kyungsoo's. Jongin doesn't know if his teeth are chattering because of the cold or because of Kyungsoo's proximity, but he can't stop. 

Kyungsoo looks down at it and small smile breaks out, lips curling up for the first time for Jongin. The taller is transfixed, shocked at how ethereal the other boy looks smiling shyly at the ground. He hears the crash of the waves in the distance, can see the moonlight reflected on Kyungsoo's bike, can feel the cold wind nip at him.

He doesn't think he's ever felt this alive, not even when he finally flew away, not when he'd first seen the ocean. 

"Thanks," Kyungsoo whispers, voice laced with something sweet and foreign. Jongin watches in wonder as Kyungsoo slips the jacket on top of his own, now a puffy, formless ball of blushing red cheeks. 

No, Jongin chides himself, he's not blushing. It's probably because it's windy -- he's cold, and the wind is getting to him. Kyungsoo spares him one last glance, but it's rushed and before the younger boy knows it, Kyungsoo is pushing away, speeding down the hill towards the sea. 

Jongin stands outside the bakery until Kyungsoo makes a turn, disappearing out of view, before he starts the climb back to his balcony. Halfway up he pauses, eyes trailing over to the small bookstore, and his heart skips again.

He finally makes it up, hands frozen and biceps aching. Sliding his shoes off and slipping into bed, heart running a mile a minute, he closes his eyes and imagines that Kyungsoo's small hands are holding his, that Kyungsoo is reading him one of those novels until he drifts off. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i chose ronce street bc ronce is french for bramble, which is what grew over yseut & tristan's tombs in an ancient love story ,,,,,nd ksoo the lit nerd of course would love to live on that street LOL (can u tell i am ...also a lit nerd?? and in french? lmfao)


	3. 3/4

Junmyeon and Sehun notice that something is off. They make little comments about how cold it's getting outside, and then they shoot pointed looks to Jongin's jacketless figure. They mention it  _every_  time apartment 1011 on Ronce Street orders something -- which is often, since Baekhyun and Chanyeol live to embarrass him. Every time, Kyungsoo avoids looking at him for more than a few seconds, seemingly too uninterested in conversation or returning his jacket. 

This is one of these times. Sehun had just gotten off the phone and spares a fleeting, knowing glance at Junmyeon before he beckons Jongin over. 

"Delivery. Three pastries and a coffee to go. Can you carry coffee on the broom?" 

Jongin nods confidently as he pulls on a black overshirt, covering up the short sleeves of the shirt he was already wearing.

"No problem!" is his only response, since he's too busy tying his shoes. He hears Mongmong yapping around his feet, the old gray dog joining her soon after. 

"Where's your jacket, Jongin? It's getting cold. It's worse down by the sea; you know that," the voice is stern and caring, in a way that only Junmyeon can pull off. "You're going to freeze." 

He's a little worried because he'd noticed frost covering his window this morning, but he shrugs it off. Maybe he'll like being cold. It's not like he's going out for a long time anyway, he'll be back to the warm bakery within minutes. And so, with his thin overshirt on, take-out bag tucked away in his black bag, and a cup of coffee in hand, he moves to leave the shop.

"Where's this for?" Jongin asks distractedly as he grabs his broom. When he gets no response, he looks up to meet Sehun and Junmyeon's keen eyes. 

"Apartment 1011, Ronce street," Sehun articulates carefully, and his right arm winds around Junmyeon slowly. Jongin knows that they're about to go parent-style on him, when they stand like that, a united front. "They order pretty often, don't they?" 

Jongin shrugs as casually as he can manage, but he knows his cheeks are flaming with the thought of them knowing about how he feels about Kyungsoo. 

"Is it those three boys? You know, the ones who go to the university?" Junmyeon asks slyly, and Jongin knows that the widening of his eyes gives him away. 

"Yeah," Jongin admits, nodding a little bit. A smile breaks out across Sehun's features and Jongin notices how the taller's arm tightens around Junmyeon, as if congratulating him on their shared success. He finds it endearing and a little bit invigorating that he can talk about it like this without getting judged.

"Does one of them like you? I mean, that's the only explanation --" Sehun is cut off by a jab to the ribs from his partner. His face contorts in mild pain and he whines out a "Junmyeon!" 

Jongin finds it in himself to laugh a little, even though his heart is hoping for Sehun to be right. Maybe it was Kyungsoo orchestrating all these food trips. Maybe he thought Jongin was charming and cute. Maybe. 

Junmyeon shoos him off to deliver then, shaking his head at Sehun's loud mouth, and Jongin takes his leave. The ride to the apartment is almost second nature now -- Jongin doesn't have to think, so instead he daydreams. 

It's his specialty, really, daydreaming. He's imagined so many things on the deliveries he makes -- holding hands with Kyungsoo on the beach, introducing his parents to the bakery owners, diving deep into the ocean and looking at everything he could until he couldn't breathe. Something was always there, tugging on his mind, telling him to explore and find love and be  _happy_. 

This city could make him happy -- the sounds, the smells, the laughter and yelling constantly flowing through the streets, and Kyungsoo. It was all a breath of fresh air, a reminder that he was alive and out in the world, achieving anything he set his heart to. Every morning that he'd wake up to the tangy bite of salt in the air, to Junmyeon and Sehun's low voices over morning coffee, to the crackling of the fireplace and the thought of Kyungsoo making his way off to classes -- it was enough. 

Soon enough he's off his broom, jogging his way up the familiar stairs to a brightly -- newly, Jongin notices -- painted door. Now there is a vibrant scene of the ocean, wide waves swooping into the sky, birds and fish mingling together in a pink swirl of sunset. He doesn't know how Baekhyun manages to put something that beautiful on a door, only to paint over it the next month, but he's mesmerized.

He almost doesn't want to knock since it's so pretty, but then he realizes that the coffee might be getting cold, and the coffee might belong to Kyungsoo, so in the end he doesn't hesitate to rap on the door. 

It's the shortest boy, wearing something that Jongin can only describe as  _too much_. The shirt must be Chanyeol's -- it  _has_  to be -- because it's practically falling off of him, collarbones and top of his chest on full display. The bottom of the shirt hits his mid-thigh, where it's met with long pajama pants. It should look cute, even cuddly, but all Jongin can think of is how much he wants to kiss him on the face and on the collarbones and  --

He cuts himself off because he's been ogling Kyungsoo for at least thirty seconds, mouth open, and he can't afford to let the shorter know that. Even though it's painfully obvious, because now Kyungsoo is blushing profusely and moving to push his shirt up, hands shaking like the night Jongin feared he'd be cold. 

"Here, one second -- my wallet's in the other room, I was cleaning --" Kyungsoo is unusually chatty and nervous, his deep voice ringing through Jongin's head like the soft waves painted on the door. 

"It's okay," Jongin mumbles. He feels the cold biting at his back and shivers involuntarily, scooting the last few inches into the apartment. He doesn't know if this is okay, but if he's cold, he knows Kyungsoo is too. Shutting the door behind him, he feels less like a popsicle, and more like an intruder. 

Seconds later, Kyungsoo is back holding a wallet and a familiar black jacket. It makes Jongin's stomach drop, knowing that he'd actually kept it so long. Jongin half expected for Kyungsoo to throw it away or something, but seeing it in Kyungsoo's hands gave Jongin a sort of pride, a sense of accomplishment. 

"I meant to give it back to you, but --" Kyungsoo doesn't seem to know how to word it. "But my roommates are always at the door." 

Jongin realizes then that he was too embarrassed in front of Baekhyun and Chanyeol, and that Kyungsoo had tried so many times in the last weeks to return it. That Kyungsoo must've jumped up to grab it every time there was a knock on the door. It sends his heart soaring, knowing that he was on Kyungsoo's mind at least a little, if only out of politeness. 

Then the jacket is draped over his arm softly, in a way only Kyungsoo would choose to do. The miniscule weight of the jacket causes a heaviness to settle in his stomach, churning and turning in a way that makes him think he might throw up. Kyungsoo is so lovely. 

"Jongin!" a high voice interrupts them, Baekhyun's signature tone ringing through the apartment. Jongin feels happy -- really, he does, the other two boys had become awkward friends to him -- at the sound, if only because now he's saved of responding to Kyungsoo. He doesn't think he can, not right now, not with the way Kyungsoo is making him feel. 

Then the loud boy is barreling toward him, yanking the coffee out of his hand. "Thank goodness. Yeol is about to die. He's been writing a paper all night, and he's finally finished -- and I think without coffee, he might pass out, I'm not even joking --" 

Jongin laughs a little, nodding as he watches Baekhyun run away again, back into a bedroom. Kyungsoo is looking down at the floor, clearly mortified over how his friends behave. Jongin thinks he looks beautiful like that, pink dusted cheeks and pursed lips.

He wants to stay and ask Kyungsoo how his classes are going, wants to hold Kyungsoo's hand and lead him down a crowded street while they laugh. But then he realizes that he's still standing in his crush's doorway, awkward and holding a bag of pastries. Maybe he should leave. 

"Thanks for my jacket back; I have to --" 

"Wait, Jongin!" 

Jongin knows it's not Kyungsoo's voice, but something greedy inside of him still hopes to see the short boy's mouth moving when he looks up. Instead, he watches as Chanyeol appears in the doorway, coffee in one hand and Baekhyun's shoulder in the other. 

"Yeah?" Jongin responds. He doesn't know what Chanyeol could be yelling at him for, but he's suddenly scared. The tallest boy breaks out into a wide smile then, dissipating the fear that had so quickly crept up in Jongin's chest. 

"Now that I'm finally done with that hell of a paper, we're going to take a walk. If you don't have deliveries, you wanna come with us?" 

Jongin isn't sure if the  _us_  Chanyeol refers to includes Kyungsoo, but he nods anyway. He likes having friends and he loves this part of the city -- why wouldn't he take the chance? He knows for a fact that there are no regulars who order at this hour on a Wednesday, and so he feels secure in assuming there are no deliveries waiting for him at the bakery.

"You heard him, Kyungsoo. Go get changed! We're going on a walk!" 

\-- 

Twenty minutes later, the four of them leave the apartment together. Jongin is the only one not wearing a fluffy coat, scarf, or both, but he assures the boys that the cold doesn't bother him that much. Baekhyun had thought maybe he was supernaturally immune to cold, but Jongin doubts that's the case. He laughs along though, just to watch how Chanyeol's eyes crinkle and Kyungsoo's cheeks glow. 

"Where are we going?" Baekhyun asks, his tone actually a little whiny. It shocks Jongin, never before having heard him sound negative in any way. But then he watches how Chanyeol's big hand envelopes his and stuffs it in his pocket, and he understands a little more.

He almost looks over at Kyungsoo to gauge his reaction, but he's too scared that it will be one of disgust, and so he settles for studying just how close Chanyeol holds Baekhyun before the shorter giggles and moves away. 

"Hmm," Chanyeol looks around the busy street, filled with college kids and buses and shouts. "The beach? It's loud in the city today." 

Jongin perks up at that. The entire time he'd been in this new city, no matter how many times he delivered down by the beach, he'd never made a trip to just sit and listen and breathe. He hopes that's what their plan is, too, because it sounds like everything Jongin has dreamed of since childhood. And standing next to Kyungsoo, nevertheless. 

Jongin kind of wants to pinch himself, just to check that it's all real, but then he catches Kyungsoo's eyes and nearly halts in his steps. There's something soft in them, a sort of wonder, that Jongin can't put on a finger on. He thinks maybe it's the same way Sehun stares down at Junmyeon when he thinks no one is looking. But the look is gone in an instant, replaced with familiar shock, and Jongin turns away with red ears. 

They all chat as they walk, but the pair in front end up doing most of the talking. Baekhyun makes Kyungsoo laugh out loud a few times, something foreign to Jongin, and it makes his heart flip at the way his lips upturn, fully forming an 'o' shape.

Chanyeol stops to pet a puppy and lament over his lack of dog -- to which Jongin says he has one, and Chanyeol insists that they stop ordering out; they need to go to the bakery sometime and meet the puppy. Baekhyun agrees and Kyungsoo smiles his tiny, now familiar smile.

The shortest boy trails next to Jongin, behind the two talkative boys, silent but curious, and so,  _so_ cute. Jongin can't stop watching the way his scarf blows in his face (it's dark green, like the vines that grow up the side of the bookstore, and it makes Jongin think of a wild jungle, a vivid explosion of life.) At one point, Kyungsoo blows his bangs out of his face and his lips form a soft, pink pout. It almost makes Jongin drop the broom in his hand. 

"How is school going?" Jongin ventures to ask. Kyungsoo looks up in that fond way again, and Jongin realizes that this is how he looks at people that he considers friendly. This is what Baekhyun and Chanyeol get every day -- and now Jongin is on the list, is worthy of smiling eyes and pink cheeks. 

"It's going okay," Kyungsoo shrugs a little, seeming to draw back in on himself. Jongin wants to scream because, god, he was so close to making progress towards friendship, towards something more. He takes a deep breath, deciding to be brave, and nudges Kyungsoo softly with his shoulder. 

This makes the older look up in surprise, eyes flitting momentarily to where their shoulders had just met. Jongin notices the blush, basks in how red his cheeks turn and the way his lips move on their own, pulling into a smile. It makes Jongin do the same, suddenly dizzy and lightheaded and walking on clouds in the same instant.

"And you?" 

Jongin knows that it's barely anything to most, but in Kyungsoo's way of communication, this is a lot.

"Sehun and Junmyeon are doing well, and the bakery is the same as always," Jongin looks at Kyungsoo to make sure he's at least semi-interested. The shorter boy is looking towards the ocean they're headed for, but Jongin can tell in the way his eyes are scanning the horizon that he's actually listening. "My mom told me that it's getting really cold back home, that they're getting snow almost every day." 

When Kyungsoo says nothing in return, he continues his nervous ramble. 

"I've been thinking about school a lot. I don't know what I'd major in, but I like the idea of it. I think I want to start reading more. If you have any recommendations . . .  I'd be happy to have them. I --" 

Kyungsoo cuts him off, which is a first. "What do you like to read?" 

"Books. Poetry. Anything you want me to." 

He hadn't meant to sound  _that_  desperate. Jongin screams internally; he's ruined. The look on Kyungsoo's face confirms it, cements his place as an absolute weirdo. Baekhyun and Chanyeol have stopped talking now, both looking back at the pair in some sort of fascination. Jongin wants to cry because of the way Kyungsoo is staring him down, how Baekhyun's dark eyes trace his every movement, how Chanyeol raises his eyebrows. 

And then Kyungsoo's face turns from a glare to something more confused. Is that an improvement? Or is he just being judged in a new way? 

Baekhyun and Chanyeol seem to sense the change in atmosphere, can feel the way Kyungsoo is looking at him, and decide to excuse themselves sheepishly. 

"We're gonna go in and shop here. You guys keep going, I know Jongin wanted to make it to the ocean . . ." 

Jongin almost whines for them to stay, almost grabs Baekhyun's coat by the hood in order to prevent their leaving, but he stops when he realizes how close they really are to the ocean. They'd been walking for a few minutes and the coast was right there already. If those two just stay, it won't be awkward, and they'll practically already be on the beach. But then the pair is ducking into a small stationary shop, Baekhyun already eyeing a set of gel pens. 

Maybe if he can just make it to the ocean, maybe if he can just breathe the salty air in, he'll calm down. 

The pair trudge on towards the sea slowly. Their shoulders are almost touching, Jongin can't help but notice, and he stares at Kyungsoo's hands. His mind flashes back to the way Chanyeol had kept Baekhyun's warm, connected at the hand and hip. Suddenly he's dreaming that Kyungsoo's small hand slides into his, that they're close together, breath fanning out between them like the wind that rolls off of the coast. 

He's snapped out of it when he registers that he's not walking on pavement anymore -- now he's on sand, every step crunching. He can't help the swell in his chest at seeing the wide expanse of blue, even when the sky is a wintry grey and the wind is nipping at his nose. Jongin takes a deep breath, inhaling the salt and the cold like he'd always wanted. 

"It's so beautiful," Jongin breathes out, taking in every feature he can. He feels Kyungsoo take a deep breath, too. They're so close that Jongin wonders if their noses would touch if he turned right now. He doesn't, because he's too scared, but he likes the heat that pools in his stomach at the thought of it. 

Kyungsoo nods silently next to him, shivering a little. Jongin hasn't noticed the chilling wind that's blowing off of the water and straight onto Kyungsoo, but now that he does, he thinks maybe he can cut the trip short. They should leave, since Kyungsoo's teeth are chattering. 

"Are you cold?" Jongin ventures to ask, shifting impossibly closer to the smaller boy in an attempt to offer his body heat. He almost makes a shocked noise when the boy accepts, shuffling closer to Jongin, eyes never leaving the ocean. 

"No," Kyungsoo lies. Jongin doesn't know why it's so endearing to hear a blatant, dumb lie slip from the older's lips, but it is. It feels like Kyungsoo is letting him see a different side, a sillier side, of him that was closed off before. 

"It's my first time seeing the ocean up close, but I can leave. It's cold." 

Kyungsoo's lips open out of surprise, and Jongin has to physically restrain himself from leaning down and closing the distance between them, from blocking out the cold wind with warm hands around Kyungsoo's cheeks. 

"I'm sorry the first time you're going to the ocean is with me. In the cold. It's not the best circumstances," Kyungsoo mumbles, seemingly unaware of the great struggle Jongin is having over their proximity. 

"I think it's perfect," Jongin sputters out, tearing his mind away from the thought of Kyungsoo's mouth moving against his. "I - I mean. I like the weather. And you're --" 

"Cold. I'm cold." 

Jongin turns to the boy, thankful that he didn't have to find the correct adjective to describe him. He would've slipped and said something to make them awkward again, would've accidentally called him beautiful or stunning or lovely.

"Do you want to leave?" Jongin asks, eyes concerned and soft. Kyungsoo looks at him that way again, the way he had when his brown eyes glowed with fondness, and he shakes his head slightly. 

"We just got here . . ." Kyungsoo explains, nodding back to the blue waves. Jongin shakes in his head in turn, hands coming out to rest as soft as possible on Kyungsoo's shaking ones.

He doesn't know what he's doing, why he's doing it. All he knows is that his heart feels like it's burning, that Kyungsoo's cheeks aren't the only ones turning dark red. He's leaning as slowly as he can, looking into Kyungsoo's eyes every second until he's too close --- his eyes will cross, he has to close them -- and their cold noses bump. He tilts his head to the side, feeling Kyungsoo's cheek against his, and waits for a signal to go. 

Then he feels soft lips on his, pulling him away from the ocean and the cold and into something so wholly  _Kyungsoo_  it hurts. The smaller boy is warm despite the chilly weather, cheeks soft and lips plush. 

Jongin suddenly realizes that he's kissing Kyungsoo, that the smaller boy is pliant under his touch, smelling like soap and coffee. He tastes like the strawberry pastry Jongin had just delivered. He has delicate, soft lips despite the winter air. He's everything Jongin has ever expected, ever dreamed of, and he's kissing back. 

He can hear the lull of the waves in the back of his pounding head, but they're nothing compared to the quiet rhythm of Kyungsoo's lips against his. The smaller boy winds a small hand into Jongin's shirt, and the latter feels heat spread in his cheeks and drain him of any self control. Now he's kissing feverishly, almost desperately, letting Kyungsoo pull him in and letting Kyungsoo do anything he wants to him and -- 

They pull apart to breathe, hearts racing. 

"I --" Jongin is going to apologize, but Kyungsoo turns away so quickly that he doesn't get the chance. Before he knows it, Kyungsoo is touching cold hands to his cheeks, forcing himself to wake up. Jongin watches pitifully as Kyungsoo moves away from the beach, back to the sidewalk, hands shakier than ever. 

He follows after him, but there's not another word spoken between the two the entire outing. Baekhyun and Chanyeol act like they don't see a difference, act like they don't notice Kyungsoo actively avoiding Jongin, and the four of them awkwardly make their way through other shops on the strip. Jongin feels his heart lurch with every step Kyungsoo takes away from him. 

\-- 

He figures that he must've come on too strong -- Kyungsoo had never actually  _said_  to kiss him. And he certainly never said to kiss him the way he had, like their lips being together was the answer to every equation Jongin had ever failed to solve. 

Maybe he doesn't even like boys, Jongin fears. Maybe he likes boys, but not dumb boys who are younger than him and have no future besides riding around on a broom. Maybe Kyungsoo just didn't like Jongin's personality, specifically. 

Even with all these logical reasons, it doesn't stop Jongin from feeling heartbroken. He'd never had someone to like before, never kissed someone like _that_. And now the highlight of this city, of his entire life, maybe, hates his guts. It seems like Kyungsoo must've finally yelled at Chanyeol and Baekhyun, forced them to stop ordering food, because it's been weeks and Jongin still hasn't gotten an order for delivery to them. 

Sehun and Junmyeon don't say anything, but he knows they're worried. They ask him more frequently if he's talked to his mom, if he's doing okay. Junmyeon makes him eat dinner with them and go out to the movies, even when Jongin protests and says he's tired and doesn't want to intrude. Sehun makes him special pastries with flowers and potion bottles on them, if only to make Jongin feel like a piece of his mom's shop is with him. Jongin thinks they're sweet, that they're everything he'd ever hoped to be when he's older. 

Even though it's hard, Jongin knows he's okay, knows that he'll find a way to get over how sad he is. He just wishes that he'd had a way to say good bye. Any sort of farewell would've been good. Instead, he's stuck wallowing in the fact that Kyungsoo will never speak to him again in his room, surrounded by dark walls void of any semblance of home. 

Even the waves sound wrong at night, dissonant and offputting. Jongin starts to have dreams about drowning in them, and he's not sure if he'll ever feel the same about the ocean again, after the way Kyungsoo had held him on the beach that day. 

He sighs and shakes his head, slipping into comfy pajama pants and leaving his window open only a crack. It's getting cold enough that it hurts to keep it open too much at night, but Jongin still likes the fresh air seeping in while he sleeps. He checks his phone, noticing that the only notification is a text saying that his mom loves him, and sets his morning alarm as he slides into bed. 

He sleeps fitfully, Mongmong laying next to him in the darkness, and he's awoken only minutes later by the distinctive sound of a scream in the streets. It's not a mother getting angry at a child, or even a chef taking a waiter outside to punish them, like usual. This time, it's definitely male and it's definitely Kyungsoo. 

Jongin shoots out of bed as fast as he can, throwing open the window. He's only halfway through climbing onto the balcony when he hears it again. Panic shoots through his veins and he trips over his cold feet, over the cold metal of his balcony. He can vaguely hear Mongmong barking, can feel his foot hit something so hard that he almost curses out loud, but all he can focus on is finding Kyungsoo in the vast darkness. 

It rings through again, this time weak and pained, and Jongin feels tears prick his eyes. His entire mind and body is screaming in cold and pain and fear, and Jongin doesn't know what to do.


	4. 4/4

Jongin doesn't know what he expects to find when his feet finally hit the cold pavement, but he braces himself for the worst. As much bracing as one can do in such little time, at least. 

He takes off down the street, absentmindedly noticing that his feet are numb and maybe his toe is bleeding. But it doesn't matter, he reminds himself, as the sound of Kyungsoo's whimper rings in his ears over and over again. 

"Kyungsoo?" Jongin yells out into the dark air. He feels too loud, like a disturbance, but he also fears that he's not loud enough -- that Kyungsoo won't hear him.

He can feel himself panicking, can feel his heart speed up to an almost dangerous level, and he's a little lightheaded. Jongin can't tell if he's like this because of the sudden cold, the blood he can definitely feel running down his foot, or because of the thought of Kyungsoo in pain. Maybe it's a combination.

"Kyungsoo!" Jongin yells again.

He registers the bookstore to his right and turns to investigate near it more. If Kyungsoo was on this street, this is where he'd be, he reasons. The once flourescent flowers and winding green vines are now brown with cold, leaving an eerie, empty feeling in Jongin's stomach. The store and the street and the ocean doesn't look inviting anymore; they just make a sweat break out across his forehead. 

He doesn't see Kyungsoo's blue bike, can't see any sign of the boy being around, but something is tugging at his brain to keep looking, past the store and into a dimly lit alley. This _has_  to be where he is. 

"Kyungsoo," Jongin says, barely above a whisper. It's like he's scared to hear an answer, fearful of what he could find in this cramped space. "It's me." 

He doesn't know whether to smile or cry when he hears the noise again, this time close. It's Kyungsoo. 

Jongin stumbles farther into the alley, eyes searching frantically for any semblance of Kyungsoo. His eyes scan the area warily, stopping only when he makes direct eye contact with someone. It sends bile up his throat, fear making his numb hands tingle. He wants to run, but then he recognizes the deep brown eyes. They're round and soft and full of tears. 

He lets out a breath, hands shaking suddenly in relief, and hurries to kneel next to him. Kyungsoo is huddled against the wall of the alley, cold brick cushioning his cheek and head. Something snaps in Jongin when he sees blood on his cheekbone, and suddenly anger is burning in his chest, all fear gone and replaced with fury. He's never been much of a fighter, but now he wants to go find whoever did this and make them bleed tenfold.

Before he can act on it, though, Kyungsoo has a small hand wrapped around his wrist. Jongin stills, fearful of what this could mean. Kyungsoo had never reached out to touch him before, had never been this cold against his skin. 

"Jongin," he breathes out, voice relieved and scratchy. Probably from crying, Jongin realizes, as he wraps an unsure hand around Kyungsoo's shoulder in order to pull him closer.

Jongin is acutely aware of the last time they were this close, how soft Kyungsoo's lips and hands had been against his own. It sends another burst of anger through his system looking at the quiver in his lips and the shaking of his hands. So much had changed; it made Jongin feel dizzy and useless.

"Here," Jongin reassures, explaining every movement as he does it to make Kyungsoo feel comfortable. He needs help. Jongin can't take advantage of that, can't make it any worse. "Come here." 

He finally pulls Kyungsoo all the way up, until they're standing side by side in the dark alley. He can feel Kyungsoo putting all of his weight onto his right foot, left obviously injured, and he curses under his breath a little. He can't fathom why anyone would hurt Kyungsoo, how someone could leave him crying in an alley. 

"Does your foot hurt a lot?" Jongin whispers. He feels Kyungsoo's nod more than he sees it, and he wraps a tentative arm around Kyungsoo's waist in order to lead him out. Kyungsoo doesn't object, only leans into him more, and so Jongin starts walking towards the streetlights. 

"Don't put any weight on it. Just hop," Jongin advises, grasp tightening around the other. "I'm here." 

Kyungsoo nods again, this time accompanied by a light sniffle. Whether it's a side effect of the cold or crying, Jongin will never know. They slowly make their way out of the alley, Jongin's grip tight but hopefully not overbearing. Kyungsoo is struggling too much, but he's got his mouth sealed shut to keep from making any sounds that would give away his pain.  

"What happened?" Jongin asks softly, hand squeezing Kyungsoo's waist involuntarily. He hadn't meant to -- it'd just seemed natural, as a way to comfort someone. He chides himself for the impulsivity and tries to ignore that he'd done it at all. Kyungsoo doesn't mention it, just hobbles alongside him, face red with cold. 

"I don't really know. I came out of the bookstore, and someone was trying to take my bike, so I told them to stop, and then they punched me --" Kyungsoo stops, noticing the tightening grip around his waist. He blanches for a second at the feeling of Jongin being all over him, but then he relaxes, realizing the stern look on Jongin's face is one of worry and fear. 

"Did you see their face?" Jongin's voice is filled with anger, a sort of protectiveness.

He doesn't mean to sound like that, and he coughs suddenly, willing it to seem like nothing was off. The worst thing he could do right now was make Kyungsoo uncomfortable with him. After the last time they'd met, Jongin is surprised he'd even been relieved to see him, and he can't afford to make their relationship any worse.

"I didn't. He hit me here," Kyungsoo points to the cut on his cheek. "And then pushed me. I think I sprained my ankle when I tried to get up again, because he punched me at the same time. I kind of blacked out for awhile." 

Jongin nods gravely, anger bubbling to the surface again. He tries to refocus all of his anger into being extra careful with Kyungsoo, practically carrying him the last couple feet. They're nearing the bakery, and Jongin notices that the lights aren't on. Junmyeon and Sehun must've slept through it, he realizes. 

Even though the sight of the rolling ocean leaves him a little nauseous right now, he faces the water directly, taking a deep breath of the wind that blows up the street from it. He needs to somehow make his numb hands work well enough to climb back up the balcony. He needs to not fall and break a bone in front of Kyungsoo while on a mission to help him, most importantly.

"Wait here," Jongin tells him, leaving the shorter boy leaning against the door. "I'll be  _right_  back." 

Kyungsoo makes a humming noise, obviously complying with whatever it takes to get home. Jongin feels so distraught looking at the cut on the boy's face that he has to look away, fear creeping up his sides and into his throat. He can't breathe. He's only ever made it back up to the balcony one other time, but it was a good twenty degrees warmer that time, and he hadn't dragged Kyungsoo the entire way back home. 

He shakes his head and starts up the side of the house, biceps pulling in a painful way and numb hands searching for a grasp. This feels like an obstacle course. His foot slips and he looks down, confirming the suspicion that his foot is bleeding, and he hears Kyungsoo take a worried gasp. Jongin grunts back in a way that he hopes conveys "I'm fine!" but he fears it might sound more like he's in pain.

Jongin finally gets a hand on the rails, pulling himself all the way up. He slumps over the rail and falls, hard, onto the floor of his room. He allows himself a few seconds to breathe before he hurries out of the room and into the bathroom in the hallway, grabbing everything that looks medical. Mongmong's barks register somewhere in the back of his mind and he mumbles a hello, rushed and weak. 

Then he grabs his broom and leaps back out into the cold air. He's floating for a second, but soon he's sliding into place on the broom, bag stuffed with bandaids and gauze. 

He stops in front of Kyungsoo and reaches out a hand, studying the way Kyungsoo's eyes shift over every part of him warily. Kyungsoo seems to be scared of getting on the broom, much less with Jongin.

"I'll take you back home," Jongin explains, voice soft. He lifts a leg over the side of the broom, so that he's on the ground next to Kyungsoo. Guiding the boy's hand to land on top of Jongin's, gripping the broom, he nods a little. "It's okay. I've delivered there, like, a hundred times." 

Brown eyes widen even more as Jongin lifts the broom up and climbs on again, hovering above the ground a little. He smiles faintly, trying to work his charm, even though he knows that Kyungsoo doesn't like him enough for it to work. 

"I'm talented, you won't fall!" Jongin promises, and Kyungsoo actually smiles a little. Kyungsoo's hand still hasn't wavered, covering Jongin's on the broom, and he nods a little. 

"Okay," Kyungsoo responds, and he limps to the back of the broom. Jongin doesn't want to have to say this and make Kyungsoo think he's trying to pull something with him, but he needs him to stay safe. Jongin couldn't imagine what he would feel like if  _he_ was the reason Kyungsoo was hurt.

Jongin spins around and shakes his head reluctantly. "It's easy to fall off on your first ride. Sit in front of me, okay?" 

Kyungsoo flushes and nods, obviously uncomfortable with this preposition. Jongin ignores the pain in his heart at Kyungsoo's reluctance to be near him, and instead he focuses on helping the boy onto the broom. Kyungsoo isn't used to it, definitely isn't used to being held by Jongin, and it's evident. 

"Sorry," Jongin whispers, winding his arms around the shorter boy in order to have a firm grip of the handle. Kyungsoo says nothing, but Jongin can feel him stiffen against his chest, fear obvious. They start to lift off of the ground and Kyungsoo shakes his head, hands immediately grabbing onto Jongin's arms. 

It's intimate, a little too intimate for Jongin's tastes, but he tries his best to ignore the way Kyungsoo's hands feel wrapped around his arms, the soft tug of Kyungsoo's breathing that connects into his own chest. It feels like they're one, like Kyungsoo has melded into him, and he regrets letting his mind wander to any sort of romantic territory.

Kyungsoo is hurt and scared, and Jongin feels like an awful, awful person. 

And then they're flying. It's slower than Jongin usually flies, only because he knows Kyungsoo is scared, constantly shifting against Jongin's chest. Jongin almost wraps his ams tighter, but he stops when he realizes that he can't take advantage of this situation like that. Kyungsoo doesn't like him, will never like him, he reminds himself. 

The wind blows against them, tousling Kyungsoo's hair back into Jongin's face. He smiles against the wind and pushes the broom closer towards the ground, so that he can start monitoring what street they're approaching. Kyungsoo yelps at the sudden incline, turning his head away from the oncoming ground, and nuzzling his face into Jongin's neck. 

Jongin expects Kyungsoo to pull away once they've leveled out again, but instead, he stays like that, breathing softly onto Jongin's neck. Jongin gulps hard and hopes the shorter boy can't hear it, can't feel it. 

And then Jongin is landing as softly as possible, lifting Kyungsoo with him off of the broom. He doesn't ask for permission before he wraps an arm around Kyungsoo's waist, lifting him bridal style. It's immensely embarrassing, but Jongin would prefer to make it up the stairs in less than three hours. This seems like the best way, logically.

"Here we go," Jongin whispers more to himself than Kyungsoo, starting the climb up the stairs. Suddenly, it feels as if Kyungsoo lives on the top of Mount Everest. Jongin knows he's breathing hard, knows that his muscles are worn out and his feet hurt, so he desperately prays that somehow he'll make it all the way up the stairs in order to drop Kyungsoo off safely. 

Kyungsoo stays silent the entire climb, but Jongin can feel him burning holes into the side of his face. He knows the older boy is looking at him, probably regretting ever letting Jongin near him in that alley, and so he makes it his goal to ignore it. 

"Here," Jongin finally wheezes out, letting Kyungsoo's feet make their way softly to the floor. He watches Kyungsoo collect himself, leaning on the apartment door, cheeks and ears red, tears dried by the cold. 

"Thank you," Kyungsoo says earnestly in his usual deep voice, the one that sends chills down Jongin's spine. "Really." 

Jongin has no way to respond besides smiling back, rubbing the back of his neck, and looking down at the ground in embarrassment. He wants to go inside the apartment, to apply all the ointment and bandaids and make sure Kyungsoo is okay. But he  _knows_  that's overstepping his boundaries. 

"Oh! Here," Jongin remembers the bag of medicine suddenly, and he races down the stairs and back up in a few seconds. Jongin's heart is racing from the physical exertion and the smile on Kyungsoo's face. It's shining, lighting up the dark hallway they're standing in, leaving him speechless. 

Instead of speaking, he smiles back softly and thrusts the bag of medicine into Kyungsoo's hand. 

"Bandages, gauze, medicine, ointment --" Kyungsoo turns a bright red as he ruffles through it, an embarrassed smile eclipsing the previous one. Jongin loves seeing all the different smiles he can make, all the ways his eyes crinkle in the corners. "This is so much."

"Well, I didn't know if you'd have stuff like that at your apartment, so --" Jongin shrugs, suddenly feeling extremely inferior and dumb. He shouldn't have done that, should've just brought him home and called it a night. He's trying too hard, and now Kyungsoo knows that he still likes him. He should've played it cool. 

"How can I repay you?" Kyungsoo asks, eyes serious.

Jongin thinks to dismiss him, but then he realizes that this might be the last chance he has to ever see Kyungsoo. He swallows the fear rising up, and smiles confidently, focusing in on the curve of Kyungsoo's lips and the soft twinkle in his eyes.

"You could help out with the bakery on Sunday? Sehun and Junmyeon are pretty busy lately; they'd love a day off." 

"Okay," Kyungsoo responds quietly, almost immediately. Then, before anything else can be said, Jongin knocks on the apartment door. He's so embarrassed and overjoyed at Kyungsoo's answer; he doesn't want to stay, doesn't want Kyungsoo to have the chance to take it back. 

He waves slightly, hands cold and shaking out of excitement.

Jongin makes it down to the street at the same time that he hears the door opening, a deep voice asking Kyungsoo what happened. Then he hears Baekhyun's voice cut through, screaming at the cuts on Kyungsoo's face. Kyungsoo's low voice rumbles through, affirming them that he's fine, and Jongin can hear his name slip into the conversation as he flies away, cheeks burning. 

Kyungsoo is safe. Kyungsoo will see him at least one more time. He can explain himself, get a proper goodbye, smile at him one last time. It's enough, Jongin thinks, glancing at the tumbling waves of the ocean as he flies home.

\--

Three days later, Jongin's foot has healed. He'd made it the  _entire_  way home and into bed before he realized he'd been barefoot the entire time, and that his foot was most definitely covered in blood. It was a shocking find, but he'd cleaned it up and figured out he'd just cut it on the grate outside; it wasn't a big deal, really. 

His heart felt a little more healed, too. Maybe it was because he knew he'd get some time with Kyungsoo, and maybe a chance to really say goodbye, unlike the awkward avoidance that had happened before. He thinks maybe having a conclusion is better than living on with hope for the rest of his life. No matter how badly rejection hurts, Jongin would rather have it happen than wonder. 

Which is why he's fretting over his appearance in the mirror, trying to make himself look as good as possible. It felt like a  _date_. 

He finally gives up after Sehun knocks on the door for the fifteenth time, whining about needing the bathroom. 

"Jongin, if you want me and Junmyeon to have a day off and go out for a movie, we need to be able to get ready." 

Jongin sheepishly smiles and nods because, oops, he's right. He'd been so caught up in thinking about Kyungsoo that he'd forgotten the other guys needed to leave, too.

It was a Sunday after all, and Jongin and Kyungsoo were going to do all the cleaning and basic baking, making the older boys useless. Jongin hadn't specifically told Kyungsoo that they were closed on Sundays, but he assumed the shorter boy knew, and so he didn't feel bad about purposely getting them alone time to talk. 

"Sorry, Sehun," Jongin apologizes. Instead of keeping up the angry act, Sehun just smiles and ruffles Jongin's (previously perfect) hair lightly, pushing past him to get into the bathroom. 

It's later, around eight a.m., after the owners have left for their day off, that Jongin hears a soft knock on the bakery door. Jongin straightens up from where he was grabbing pans and rushes to the front door, pushing it open for Kyungsoo. 

The shorter boy looks better. The cut on his cheek is healed, mostly, and he has a healthy, pink glow to him that was missing the other night. Kyungsoo is wearing a brown sweater, one that makes his eyes look darker and skin golden. His glasses have slipped down his nose due to the wind, and Kyungsoo moves to push them back up, sweater covering most of his hands. It makes Jongin take a deep breath to calm down. 

It's hard to, though, when Kyungsoo is so beautiful.

"I'm here to help," he offers, deep voice showing an ounce of nervousness. Jongin shuts the door behind him, effectively shutting out the cold, and watches as a tall boy zips down the street on a black bike. 

"Chanyeol drop you off?" Jongin asks, but it's more like confirming. Kyungsoo nods back, studying the bakery's interior. It hits Jongin that he's only actually been inside once. 

Jongin looks around at the now-familiar brown walls, the white accents, the pastel paintings on the walls. It feels like home to him, but to Kyungsoo it must be foreign.

Kyungsoo's eyes light up at a certain painting, one of a muted sky, birds and clouds fighting for space on the cramped canvas. The sky is an orange color, but it fades into a shining, vibrant yellow at the bottom. Jongin thinks he can see sunflowers in one corner of the painting, a rose in another. There is something distinctive about it, familiar in a way Jongin can't describe.

Before Jongin can ask, Kyungsoo speaks up suddenly. 

"That's why we came here that day, you know," Kyungsoo says. Jongin thinks vaguely back to it, the day the trio had walked in, the day he'd immediately been attracted to Kyungsoo. The day he got caught staring at him openly across the crowded cafe. 

"The painting?" Jongin asks to clarify, tearing his mind away from how he'd felt that first day. Kyungsoo nods back, hands searching for something to play with, and finally settling on his own thumb.

"Baekhyun painted it." 

It all seems to click in Jongin's mind. The way they'd walked in, happy and bright and confident, and how they'd chosen to sit in the corner next to it. Suddenly, Jongin recognizes the brush strokes, can see Baekhyun's smiling face behind each specific color chosen. It makes sense. 

"Junmyeon bought it from him. It was his first piece that he sold, so we all came to look at it," Kyungsoo is rambling, hands fiddling in a way that makes Jongin's stomach churn. He's so, so cute, is all Jongin can think. 

Kyungsoo's talkative mood seems to evaporate and he looks at the ceiling suddenly, cheeks pink again. Jongin doesn't know why he's blushing, but he doesn't want to make anything awkward, and so he ushers him towards the kitchen. 

"We're going to make the basic stuff that Sehun and Junmyeon trust me with," Jongin explains, finally getting the last few pans out. Kyungsoo watches and nods along, moving to wash his hands. Jongin follows suit and tries his best to ignore the way their elbows and shoulders are rubbing together. 

It's odd, but he feels so comfortable with Kyungsoo right now. The awkwardness has evaporated, and all he can focus on is how the shorter boy breathes softly and ties an apron. His fingers are paler and shorter than Jongin's, but he thinks they're infinitely prettier, in a way that makes his cheeks flush and world spin. 

"A cake?" 

Jongin looks up, nodding, and points to the recipe book on the counter. Kyungsoo moves to sift through it, squinting hard at the instructions despite his glasses. 

"Sehun said it was easy. He said we should be able to handle it," Jongin explains, arranging bowls on the counter. Kyungsoo steps next to him, suddenly so close that Jongin sucks in a deep breath. Kyungsoo's eyes widen and he steps back, back hitting the fridge. Jongin laughs a little at that, despite the overwhelming urge to hold Kyungsoo close.

He'd learned what happened if he did that last time; he wouldn't make the same mistake again. 

Kyungsoo smiles at the floor, embarrassed, and moves back to the counter to start cooking. Jongin's heart feels warm and calm. 

At some point, they discover that Jongin is much better at stirring and Kyungsoo is much better at the actual baking aspect.

They fall into a rhythm: Kyungsoo gathers ingredients, Jongin stirs, Kyungsoo pours into a pan, and Jongin sets the timer. They let that cake cook for fifteen minutes, talking absentmindedly, before they start the next one. Since the cakes are small, Junmyeon had asked them to bake five -- a daunting task, but Jongin likes the prospect of hours with Kyungsoo. 

It's around the third cake, when Kyungsoo has just put it in the oven, and Jongin has finished setting a timer, that things take a turn. Jongin isn't sure how it happened, but somehow he'd found the courage to bring up the beach incident. 

"I'm sorry about that day," Jongin mentions it casually, but he hopes his tone rings sincere. Kyungsoo looks up, confused, and stares at him for a few more seconds. "You know, the beach." 

Kyungsoo turns bright red and looks away immediately. So he hadn't forgotten, he'd just preferred to stay silent about it. Jongin had expected this, but he needs to say his apologies and get the bad air cleared out from between the two of them. He can't live his life thinking that Kyungsoo hates him because they kissed once, he's positive of that. 

"I didn't mean to force you or anything. I just. . ." Jongin has no idea how to phrase this without sounding crude. "I wanted to kiss you. A lot." 

Kyungsoo's eyes darken a little, but his face never changes. 

"I was going to say sorry that day, but you kept avoiding me. Anyway, I'm sorry I did that." 

It goes quiet for a couple minutes. All Jongin can hear is the wind howling outside the store, Kyungsoo's uneven breathing, and the tick of the timer. Just when his hands start to get less sweaty after his apology, Kyungsoo speaks. 

"You know, I kissed you back." 

Jongin does know, but he wasn't really going to bring that up. Actually, scratch that, he  _definitely_  knows. He'd thought about how Kyungsoo's mouth felt sliding against his, how Kyungsoo's hands felt wrapped in his shirt, frequently. He'd dreamt of that moment an almost embarrassing amount of times in the last few weeks. 

"Y-yeah. But you left after, so --" 

"I've been getting yelled at a lot by Baekhyun and Chanyeol," Kyungsoo starts again, seemingly off topic. Jongin closes his mouth, waiting for more of an explanation. "They told me that I should stop being a scaredy-cat." 

Jongin bristles, thinking back to the night Kyungsoo had cried after being attacked. How the fuck was that being a scaredy-cat? As if Chanyeol wouldn't have cried. Jongin feels anger growing slowly, and he rolls his eyes. 

"If  _anyone_  got attacked and punched, they'd cry! That's --" 

"Not about that." 

Jongin looks up then, really staring into Kyungsoo's eyes for the first time that morning. He can smell the cake baking, the rich scent taking over the bakery, and Kyungsoo looks as sweet as the building smells. Jongin wonders for a second how Kyungsoo gets himself to look so good, as if he's not trying. And then he's pulled back into the present by a hand on his. 

His eyes dart down, hardly believing what they're seeing. Kyungsoo's thin fingers are wrapped around his, almost intertwined. Kyungsoo is blushing so brightly that Jongin fears for a second that he's caught a cold, but then Kyungsoo's lips form a small heart, a token of affection that Jongin has rarely been shown. 

"They called me a scaredy-cat because I didn't know how to deal with my feelings or anything," Kyungsoo looks away, but his grasp on Jongin is firm. "About you." 

Jongin almost screams because about  _him_? It all seems too good to be true; Kyungsoo must be tricking him. It's not funny, he laments to himself. 

"What are you talking about?" Jongin asks, rather angrily. He can't stand this. "You shouldn't do this. You knew from the start I liked you. From the first day you all caught me staring at you! Don't do this, please. It's not funny." 

Kyungsoo looks genuinely surprised and hurt. It makes Jongin pause for a second, considering all the reasons Kyungsoo would have such a distressed look if he was just joking. 

"I like you." 

There's nothing special, just a squeeze to his hand. Jongin looks up skeptically, but instead of meeting Kyungsoo's eyes, he's only greeted with Kyungsoo's tilted head moving toward him. And then Kyungsoo's lips are against his, moving in sloppy synch, allowing Jongin to breathe just enough to keep his thoughts together. 

It occurs to him, as he lets Kyungsoo move closer to him, so close that their chests are pressed together, that what's happening right now is  _real_. 

"I like you so much," Jongin confesses between breathes of air, hands moving to cup Kyungsoo's cheeks. He's careful to avoid the still-healing cut, maneuvering until Kyungsoo is backed up to the opposite side of the kitchen. 

"I got," Jongin swoops back in, pressing soft kisses across Kyungsoo's lips, savoring the way the older boy's mouth falls open. "so excited every time I delivered for you guys." 

Kyungsoo blushes deep, smiling so hard that his cheeks are prominent, heart lips long forgotten in between Jongin's. Jongin presses him into the counter more, their bodies so close that he can feel Kyungsoo's heartbeat.

"You were the highlight of working," Jongin confesses, trailing lips down his neck.  

At this, Kyungsoo pushes back on Jongin, winding hands through his black hair.

"I knew you were at the bookshop."

Jongin actually stops kissing him, looking up with pitiful eyes. Kyungsoo's are shining, a permanent grin plastered on red lips.

"You knew I was watching you the whole time?" a nod. "That's so embarrassing!" 

Jongin wants to scream, but Kyungsoo's so  _happy_  that he can't help but kiss his jaw again, out of fondness.

"You weren't very secretive. Plus, I liked it. I liked you. I just didn't know how to deal with it, and I was a giant asshole," Kyungsoo places a soft hand on Jongin's chest, steadying himself.

"I was just really scared that, you know, you'd leave in a year. That's what witches do, right? A year." 

Jongin shakes his head, no, feverishly. Jongin can't think of a reason why he'd leave this city any time soon, especially when he thinks of Kyungsoo holding onto him desperately like that. 

 "We do a year to see what we want to do, but I still don't know. I like delivering, but I want to go to school. I want to keep exploring," Jongin reassures. "I'll stay here longer; I have good reasons for being here." 

Kyungsoo looks up hopefully, his large eyes conveying something secret that Jongin understands. 

"You're the main reason." 

Kyungsoo's cheeks tint again, flushed and sweaty and slightly sultry. Jongin wastes no time before he wraps his arms around Kyungsoo, the way he'd done on the broom, the way he'd dreamt of holding Kyungsoo, and their lips are connected again. 

He swears he could stay like this for an eternity, hearing the waves rush in the back of his head, watching the most beautiful boy in the world come undone before him, pressing against him desperately, softly. He thinks of all the days before him, the days where he can walk with Kyungsoo hand in hand before the ocean, down the crowded streets, through the bookstore. He thinks it sounds nice -- going to school, helping Junmyeon and Sehun, falling in love with the beautiful boy who makes his stomach flip. 

He's lost in thought, lost in the feeling of Kyungsoo's lips against his, warm and plush and inviting, when the timer goes off, shocking the both of them. Kyungsoo pulls away, looking towards the oven, but Jongin lazily kisses up Kyungsoo's neck in a way that makes him turn his head again, allowing Jongin to pepper kisses wherever he wants. After what seems like an eternity of beeping, Kyungsoo finally pushes away, annoyed. 

"I'm not letting this cake burn." 

Jongin watches him take it out with red cheeks, lips swollen, and realizes that this is a phenomenal way to live for a few years. Maybe always. 


End file.
